The Set Up
by Nekobaghira
Summary: 1930's story with Gambit as a gumshoe.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the characters, Marvel does. I'm just borrowing them and certainly wouldn't dream of making any money from them. Like it would pay the rent anyway. LOL

The Set Up

Story set in the mid 1930's after prohibition. Characters have powers but don't openly use them, they ignore their gifts but occasionally may use their power.

Lobotomies were used in that time period as a form of treatment, especially in cases of deviant behavior. Deviant behavior for the time period in its most basic definition would be different and non-conformist behavior. For a real sad glimpse of this - I suggest the film "Francis" starring Jessica Lange, Kim Stanley, and Sam Shepard. The film "House on Haunted Hill" has a few scenes of gruesome stuff from that era as well.

I kept the accent light. Not a fan of heavy accents.

If you didn't read Lucia's challenge fic – its okay. I'll give you some brief character stuff now. If you did read it, I'm pretty much picking up where I left off, only a different case.

Bishop is Captain in the Police department. Bobby Drake is a detective working under Bishop. They both have a relationship with Remy LeBeau. Bishop uses Remy's business when he can't get things done himself in the department. Remy and Bobby like to hang out together and get into trouble.

Logan is a friend of Remy's who helps him when Remy needs him.

Jean Grey is engaged to Scott Summers and is Remy's secretary at his private detective agency.

Chapter 1

Remy LeBeau knew he had a penchant for trouble, but this time it really, truly wasn't his fault. The waitress wasn't putting up with either of them. There was no amount of flirting that would help Bishop of out the mess he had made. And Remy couldn't stop laughing. Bishop just gave him a dirty look while cleaning the banana cream pie from his face. The waitress walked back to the counter to pick up another plate of food for another table in the diner.

"You'd think I insulted her and not the cook."

"Well, you did make fun of the blue plate special."

"Oh c'mon LeBeau, there is nothing special about meatloaf."

"Maybe next time you should wait and tell her the food was crummy when she's not holding a pie in her hand," Remy grinned.

"I guess you're right," Bishop gave a small smile.

"We're not here to give a review of the food. What do you want, mon ami?" Remy poked at the remnants of food on his plate with a fork.

"We fished a body outta the Hudson, no identification with the exception of a crest on the inside of his jacket."

"Who found the body?"

"A night patrolman with his guard dog. The dog went crazy barking at something, so he took a closer look and there it was." "The Commissioner doesn't think there is anything to it. Just another dead guy and that we shouldn't spend anymore time on it."

"But somethin' ain't right," Remy loved these kinds of cases. No interference with these types. He would get carte blanche.

"Well, I've seen the crest before. On a guy we took to the asylum. He kept muttering somethin' about a gem, that he needed it or he would die." Bishop remembered looking at Cain Marko like he was crazy. But the big tall blond man was serious. He had the look of desperation and of certain impending doom if someone didn't help him.

"Have the crest or picture of it?"

Bishop handed him the actual crest. The guy in the asylum wouldn't be wearing the clothes he was brought in with anyway. And there was no way, they were going to ever going to release this guy. Bishop sort of felt bad for the patient. Marko really believed he would die with out this gem.

"His name is Cain Marko, and he says he needs the gem of Cytorrak. We found him wandering around and the Doc at the station said he looked healthy but considered him in poor mental health." Bishop frowned at the thought. Lobotomies were an all too frequent treatment for those who thought or acted different from the rest of society. Drilling holes and scraping a part of the brain as a treatment sent chills down his spine. And with Marko's ramblings he was a good candidate for the procedure.

"And the dead guy?" Remy looked at the crest more closely while waiting for Bishop's answer.

"Well, the Commissioner looks at it as gangster issue. Probably got whacked by one of his own, taking care of their own business. But I don't think it has all that much to do with the gangsters as it does with poor timing on this fellows part. He just doesn't fit the profile."

"What do you mean?" Remy thought if this guy doesn't fit the profile, then this case could take on a dangerous twist.

"Well for starters, usually there are markings around the legs, bruises where sandbags would have been tied. There were no bullet wounds either. From the looks of things he was forced into the water with his head held down until he drowned. Gangsters like covering things up, making sure that if a body is found, there isn't much to go on. This was sloppy" Bishop took a sip of his coffee. At least that was better than the meatloaf. "But with all the illegal gambling, drugs and prostitution, the Commissioner just wants to close the case and move on."

The waitress walked by and refilled their cups with more coffee. She then waltzed back to the counter to take another order from customers that had just arrived in the diner.

"I'd like to look at the body, take some photos." Remy thought he might need Logan and he would need as much information as he could get.

"Sure, I'll take you there myself. It's my day off today anyway." Bishop winked, he knew if he was going to ask LeBeau for help, he needed to be as thorough as possible and that meant taking time off to give him all the details he needed.

Bishop and Remy dropped money on the table. Then they went out the door of the diner and whistled for a cab.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the characters, Marvel does. I'm just borrowing them and certainly wouldn't dream of making any money from them. Like it would pay the rent anyway. LOL

Chapter 2

Remy and Bishop arrived at the morgue. On the way they had stopped by Remy's office to get a camera. Bishop used his badge and position to get them into the viewing area. The coroner led them to the freezer. She pulled out the drawer and then pulled back the sheet. This part always made Remy queasy. While the viewing area had a medical smell, it never seemed to cover the corpse well enough for him. It brought memories of his childhood. He was playing in the bayou with his cousins when they found a dead body in Lake Pontchartrain. It had decomposed and it smelled horrible. He coughed to quell his stomach. Bishop was emotionless. He had seen this sort of thing, and he had become so desensitized by it, that it just wasn't that big of a deal for him. He noticed his friend's unease and went right to work on any possible clues.

Remy photographed everything that Bishop deemed important. Remy also made mental notes himself while looking at the corpse. There were no wounds to speak of; the arms, neck and feet did not have bruises nor was there skin under the fingernails to indicate a struggle. If he was held down in the Hudson, there would have been something.

The coroner explained briefly: "He couldn't get oxygen and went unconscious after three minutes, then his body went into cardiac arrest after five minutes." The coroner crossed her arms waiting for any questions from either of the gentlemen. When it appeared they were done looking at the body, she covered it up and pushed it back into the freezer. She handed a report to Bishop. He thanked her and they left the viewing room.

Remy considered the corpse. It was an odd way to die. Especially without physical evidence. It made him think that they were dealing with someone similar to himself and Bishop. They never really talked about the extra things they could do. It was left in the background. But Remy thought that perhaps someone who had special abilities was involved. Bishop cleared his throat. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure, just thinkin'." Remy played with the camera. The case seemed more interesting before seeing the body. He was hoping for a simple solution for his friend. The mutant element complicated things and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to help Bishop with this one. Bishop could sense his friend's hesitation.

"We better get those developed," Bishop patted Remy on the back to move him along. They walked in silence until they reached the street. Bishop turned to Remy and watched him adjust his hair under his hat and straighten his tie. The camera was slung over his shoulder.

"I can't pay you for this one." Bishop fidgeted with his hat and tie as well.

Remy rolled his eyes. "I thought that might be the case."

"But if you find something," Bishop paused and stared out at the busy city street, "anything I can use to convince the Commissioner that this is a case that the department should be working on, then I can take care of expenses." Bishop knew he was asking for a lot from Remy. And Remy didn't always like some of these cases he gave him. Bishop was hoping that this one was just odd enough to pique Remy's interest.

They lingered a little just watching the city life roll by. "Alright, fine, I'll do it." Remy took a breath and then smiled at his friend. "You owe me Scotch now."

Bishop laughed, "Sure, no problem."

"I need to see Marko in the asylum." Remy was certain that a mutant would be involved and he would need anything that would help. "If you have any other odd reports in your files, I'd like to see those too." Remy smiled at a woman walking past them. She winked back as she passed by.

"I'll have Bobby meet you later at the club with everything you need."

"Fine."

"I've gotta get home and see my wife. What's the point of taking a day off if I don't spend time with her?"

Bishop extended his hand to Remy. They shook hands and walked in opposite directions down the street.

Remy LeBeau arrived at his office and placed the camera on Jean's desk. He gave Jean a big smile, "Any calls?"

"No, not today." Jean beamed back at Remy.

"Any checks come in?" Remy was loosening his tie, he threw his hat on the hat rack.

"A couple, we're still waiting on the Worthington check to come in. Should be here in a day or so." Jean rifled through the mail looking for anything else he might need to know.

"Good, the Worthington one is a big one. Call James have him meet me at the club later tonight around nine. And have those pictures developed. I need them before I meet with James." Jean nodded her head and picked up the phone.

Remy walked into his office and closed the door. He needed to make a list of things to do. He planned to check out the crime scene with Logan. He thought it would be best at night so that they wouldn't be seen. He spent time writing down things he thought about at the morgue. The morgue gave him the creeps. Remy chuckled slightly since he was a private detective and sometimes he dealt with dead bodies. He just liked the missing persons and finding cheating spouses parts better. Remy filed away some papers in a folder that he would give to Jean.

Remy stretched in his chair and put his feet on his desk. As soon as he closed his eyes to rest, the phone rang.

"James is on the phone" Jean said with a smile in her voice.

"'K, put it through" Remy waited on the line for James' voice and straightened in his chair.

"Alright kid, what do ya got?" was the response from the phone.

"'Ello James" He loved making James wait. It was more of a ball busting thing. "I've got something odd for us this time."

Logan gruffed a little. "None of what you have is easy."

Remy shifted in his seat and unbuttoned another button on his shirt, trying to get comfortable. "We are looking for a mutant." Remy paused. "One with water type powers."

"Anything to go on?" Logan hated cold trails. It meant spending time in places he didn't like or in places the just plain stank.

"I have some photos and I know where the crime scene is." Remy poured himself a drink and plopped the bottle down on the desk. "This one is gonna be a bit different James."

"I had a feelin'. Just how much trouble is this one?" They had not done anything fun in a little while. He was feeling the need to stretch a little. He didn't mind helping Remy out, but every once in awhile he just wanted to let loose. He liked the docks, it made him work out all his aggression. But it wasn't the same as really ripping into someone who deserved it. And he could tell through his conversation with Remy, he might see some action. It made him smile.

"I think this mutant doesn't have an issue with using his powers." Remy felt bad for those who didn't try to stay in step with the norms of society. Society wasn't all that nice to people who were different. To flaunt it was just plain stupid. It could cause you the mental harm that you would never recover from. It was easy to explain away physical ailment or some disease, but blatant use of mutant powers meant the asylum.

"Well, I wouldn't mind getting a little exercise." James smiled to himself.

"Yeah, well, lets keep this quiet." Remy didn't want to cause a stir.

"Alright whatever you say, LeBeau," Logan was just thrilled with the thought of a fight. It made his mouth water.

"Meet me at the Club around nine tonight." Remy was finally feeling a bit tired. He sat up in his chair, waiting for Logan's response.

"Ugh, the Club? Do we really have to meet there?" Logan was annoyed. He hated the place. It was a place for people to act like something they weren't. It was annoying in general. He couldn't ever understand why LeBeau liked to go there.

"That's the place, and you know why," Remy smiled. It made him laugh that Logan hated the place so much. But it was where he could mingle with many contacts that were important for him to keep in touch with.

"Fine, whatever arsehole. I gotta go, see you there." Logan hung up.

Remy shook his head and chuckled to himself. The Club would be fine. He'd get what he wanted, look inconspicuous doing it, and still move forward. It was perfect, and Lila was singing tonight. That was a bonus. She always looked fantastic when she sang at the Club.

Jean knocked at the door.

"It's open. He looked up."

"I'm leaving now. Here are the documents you need." Jean dropped off the papers on Remy's desk.

"Thanks Jean." Remy winked at Jean and she blushed. She closed the office door behind her. Remy took this time to relax, in an hour or so he would change clothes and go to the Club.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own the characters, Marvel does. I'm just borrowing them and certainly wouldn't dream of making any money from them. Like it would pay the rent anyway. LOL

Chapter 3

The Club was busy with people sitting around tables. It was Sam Guthrie's night at the piano and he was enjoying the excitement of playing in the Club. Some patrons played cards. However, the real serious card games were held in the back of the club beyond the public eye. The bar was lined with patrons. A young woman in a short skirt carrying a cigarette tray made the rounds to all of the tables. The room was smoke filled, making Remy's eyes squint. He looked around the bar. He noticed Bobby sitting near the front of the stage laughing with some of the others who were seated near him. He was waiting for the songstress to take the stage and sing a few numbers. Logan sat at the end of the bar closest to the door. Remy walked over to Logan and tipped his hat. Logan grunted, "I hate this place."

"I know, we won't be long here." Remy sat on the bar stool and ordered a drink. He bought Bobby a drink and had it sent to his table. Bobby took the drink and knew he'd have to leave his great spot to give Remy the items he requested. "Damn," Bobby thought to himself, that man's timing stinks. Lila Cheney was about to take the stage soon and he really wanted to see her up close.

As the lights dimmed, some of the patrons moved closer to the stage and a table opened several feet away from the piano player. Remy, Logan and Bobby walked to that table and sat down. They waited for the show to begin.

A woman is a long white dress walked out onto the stage. Her dress featured a halter type top that gathered at the bust. The long flowing skirt hugged the dark haired woman. She walked up to the microphone and belted out a love song. On the opening notes the curtain pulled back to reveal a band accompanying her.

Remy, Logan and Bobby sipped at their drinks. Once the crowd was completely distracted by the show on stage, Bobby slipped a package under the table to Remy while never taking his eyes off Lila. Remy relaxed and fingered the package. He straightened in his seat as if he was adjusting his jacket. No one would have seen him placing the package inside his coat. Logan puffed on his cigar and blew it toward Remy, it was his signal that he wanted to go. They had places to go before the night was through. Remy ignored Logan knowing it would irritate him. He thought it was good for him to be in a place like this than the dump he liked to hang out in. The song set was over and the entire room was clapping and whistling at Lila. She smiled and walked off the stage. The room once more became noisy and Sam began to play again until Lila's next set.

Remy noticed a few people he wanted to shake hands with before leaving. He got up and went over to where Sam was playing.

"Hey Remy, good to see you again!" Sam had a goofy grin on his face. You could tell he just loved playing in the Club. Remy tossed some money into the jar sitting on top of the piano and said: "Play it again, Sam." Sam shook his head and laughed.

Remy made his rounds then joined Logan who was waiting by the door. Bobby had worked his way back to the front for the next set. Remy and Logan walked out of the bar and into the street. There was a cool breeze that made Remy shiver. Logan ground out his cigar and the two men walked toward the scene of the crime.


End file.
